Titanfall

Titanfall , the much anticipated shooter from the creators of Call of Duty, has official landed. I’ve got some early access and I’ve been playing through the game over the past weekend. Here are some quick thoughts on how the game is performing so far and whether it lives up to the hype:

THE GAME IS RUNNING SMOOTH MOST OF THE TIME: This was the biggest issue for me. With Electronic Arts history with online games, it was critical that this launch ran well. With servers from Microsoft and an all-hands-on-deck mentality, Titanfall is doing fine. I can get into matches and the game runs fine with an acceptable amount of lag. I’ve run into a few moments where the game sputters toward the beginning of the match, but otherwise, everything is stellar. Everyone involved is doing a great job at putting out any potential fires.

THE STREAMING ANGLE: The other important piece to Titanfall’s launch is the introduction of Twitch.tv broadcast. Unfortunately, that’s not running as well as the game. From my experience, I’ve crashed a few times when streaming. I don’t know if that’s on the game’s end or Twitch’s end but I figure I’ll stream the old-fashioned way with a PC and PVR.

AND THE GAMEPLAY IS … EVOLUTIONARY: Let’s face it the military shooter has stagnated a lot over the years, offering gamers more of the same. Developers tweak a few things here and there, but mostly, the gameplay is still the same. With Titanfall, Respawn Entertainment adds a layers of combat to the game. The sci-fi universe that Frank Zampella and Jason West explores offers a fresh look at combat. As pilots, players will be fighting each other and giant mechs called Titans. They’ll also enter head-to-head robot battles. What’s amazing is how Respawn Entertainment blends these disparate elements into a cohesive whole. Everything fits and is seamless. The pilot abilities to double jump and wall run are a game-changer. It forces players to rethink how they move and watching someone play and navigate the world can be jaw-dropping. A lot of players who grew up on Call of Duty will have to rethink how they play.

THE STORY IS OK AND THAT’S OK: Don’t expect Shakespeare. This is a popcorn movie type of game, where players run through a campaign that’s essentially several multiplayer matches. Respawn Entertainment bookends the matches with story elements introducing the reason for going to the map and the objectives. Occasionally, players will see characters like Graves, Bish or MacAllan pop on their screens to tell players how the mission is going, but the narrative follows a predetermine plot no matter which side — the IMC or the Militia — wins. (Players can go through both campaigns in three hours or so) That’s a little disappointing. But this is multiplayer campaign is an example of where gaming is headed. More and more, developers are trying to intertwine the single-player and multiplayer experience.

IT’S NOT PERFECT BUT THERE’S MUCH MORE ROOM TO GROW:Titanfall feels like the first course of what’s going to a bigger franchise. The foundation is set and it’s excellent. Respawn can play around, adding more mechs, new weapons. They can figure out a way perhaps to have branching narratives or ways for players to have a more meaningful impact on the story. But what I’ve played so far is very, very good

FOR MORE: I’m currently on level 44 and I’m working my way up to 50. You can check out my Titanfall livestream here. Look for a full review at noon tomorrow.

It pretty much had to be this way. The two creative forces that shaped console shooters are coming back with new franchises. In one corner, we have Bungie, which created the hugely successful Halo series, and on the other, we have Respawn Entertainment, lead by the minds that brought fans Call of Duty.

Both developers have a vision about what a next-gen shooter should be. First, let’s get what they have in common out of the way. Players on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 can expect shooters that blend multiplayer and single-player elements. Call it “mingle” or “smultiplayer” but whatever you name it, the games of the future won’t have distinct modes anymore. They’ll be part of a cohesive whole.

But the big question is Who carves out that concept? Which studio will have the multiplayer-singleplayer model that others adopt. Respawn and Bungie have different philosophies on the matter.